A Surgeon's View of Hell (M*A*S*H - Season 7 (DVD))

Member Name: MI9to5

Product:	M*A*S*H - Season 7 (DVD)
Date:	03/05/09 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb characters and scripting

Disadvantages: The guady humour won't suit everyone

M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical hospital) was a television series that ran for eleven seasons between 1973 and 1983. The series was set in the Korean War and based around the oddball characters that served in the 4077th MASH.

The series itself fits into the category of black comedy set in the Korean War. It is probably the best place here to mention that this series does not insinuate ever that war or the situations is causes is a funny thing or that it is comedic in any way shape or form. It simply highlights how in the toughest of situations it is often the humour of those that remain that prevails the longest. Sort of along the 'they can crush us but they'll never crush our spirit' lines. Therefore the series does not shy from making some statements about war even if they are made in a comedic way but is careful to place just the right amount of emphasis on sensitive issues without becoming bogged down with them.

None of the episodes in this or other series' focus on the actual fighting of the war as the focus is clearly on the MASH unit. For this reason every episode shows a least one scene with the doctors performing surgery, highlighting how the staff at the 4077th MASH unit frequently find themselves knee deep in wounded and running out of both beds and medical supplies. This combined with the endless need for the doctors to spend their days and nights performing what is coined 'meatball surgery' leaves them sleep deprived and frustrated by a lack of military competence.

== Characters ==
MASH 4077th is commanded by Colonel Sherman Potter. Potter is regular army and used to be a member of the cavalry. He is devoted to his wife Mildred and talks about her frequently with other members of the camp. On the camp he has a horse called Sophie that he tends to and goes out riding on. On the whole Potter runs a very relaxed camp but ultimately this is very successful. Although the others very rarely show it they do respect him and he them

'''***Hawkeye: Did you know you're limping again Sir?'''
'''Col. Potter: I'm not limping, I'm favouring my other leg***'''

Chief Surgeon is Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce who is otherwise known as Hawkeye and played by Alan Alda. Hawkeye is an astoundingly gifted surgeon but detests anything remotely army like. He refuses to carry a weapon and is not awfully fond of the early mornings the army seem to revel on. Despite this he is a dedicated worker and will do anything to save the life of the men on the tables in front of him. Hawkeye lives in the SWAMP, the more than suitable name for their tent, with fellow draftee and con-conspirator Captain B.J. Hunnicutt. Hunnicutt is a true family man who is dedicated to his wife and kids. He immediately gelled with Hawkeye the second the pair met and since then they have been near inseparable, glued together by their quick wit and fondness of practical jokes.

'''***Col. Potter: Pierce you're temporary CO'''
'''Hawkeye: I'm who?'''
'''B.J: There goes the war!***'''

Next in line is Major Charles Emerson Winchester who joined MASH 4077th after Franks departure at the beginning of the last series. He hates being there from the very start and isn't particularly fond of anyone in camp although he certainly has a certain spot for Margaret. In this series however he seems to grow closer to the SWAMP boys and a different side to him is seen.

'''***Hawkeye: Charles in command. That's like giving Captain Bligh his own fleet***'''

Head of the nursing staff is Major Margaret Houlihan. Margaret has just recently married Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott and is seemingly besotted with him. Margaret wants nothing more than to impress her army father and is always ready to do her job to the best of her ability. Unfortunately this does mean that at times she is harsh, pushy and loud but ultimately she is good at her job and this wins her praise from the others. Her soft feelings towards Hawkeye, B.J and the rest of the camp are also much more evident in this series.

'''***Margaret: I'm regular army. Most of them are not. They're a terrible, unruly and undisciplined bunch and I thank God for each and every one of them when the casualties roll in***'''

Next in line is MASH 4077th Company Clerk, Corporal 'Radar' O'Reily. Radar holds the entire unit together and does everything from delivery the mail and ordering new supplies to playing the bugle, carrying patients and generally caring for the rest of the staff on the base. Radar worships the ground Hawkeye walks on but is relatively naïve and is often found pulling up a cot and seeking guidance for both Hawkeye and B.J. Radar's biggest skill however is his amazing ability to hear the arrival of the Choppers before they can even be seen nor heard and his tremendous talent of being able to pre-empt everyone's orders.

'''***Radar: While you were in OR you took care of the strength report, completed the DD5 Series 'a' through 'c' and you ordered a new autoclave'''
'''Col. Potter: It's amazing how much I can get done without showing up. Thank you son***'''

Despite the importance of Radar in past series he again doesn't feature as highly in this one and in fact this is his final full series. The presence of Corporal Klinger therefore becomes more and more prominent. Klinger is bucking for a section 8, madness, discharge and so frequents the camp in women's clothing. Ultimately however this doesn't interfere with his work and he can always be relied upon to do his job. It is this that he is most highly valued for and his name often rings throughout the OR.

'''***Klinger: I hate the damn army but I love these people***'''

The final consistent member of the camp is Father Mulcahy. Somehow Father Mulcahy manages to keep sane in the chaos that surrounds him and is always available to offer comforting words. He is however also always ready to jump in and lend a hand wherever and whenever he is needed and proves on more than one occasion to be a real asset to the unit. He also has a quick wit and is a highly respected member of the team.

'''***Col. Potter [to Mulcahy] I'd like the promotion board to see you in here working your butt off.'''
'''Mulcahy: Thank you Colonel. I just try to be Johnny-on-the-spot and help out and do my part***'''

It must be said that the MASH 4077th unit has an amazingly unmilitary demeanour but despite this they have the best result of any MASH hospital in Korea. Their lack of military discipline, mischievous jokes and quite often constant drinking however does not get in the way of the fact that the entire team pulls together when they are needed the most and dedicates every effort to assisting the surgeons, save lives.

'''***Reporter: The 4077th is a highly diverse if not disparate group of people and yet the war seems to have moulded them into a family***'''

== This Series ==
Like the previous series this series also has a stronger focus on the stories within the episodes rather than on the humour but unlike the previous series I found that the humour in this one was more plentiful. The series as a whole has achieved a brilliant balance between seriousness and comedy that give an amazingly unique feel meaning that in many ways it gives a good insight into life in a military outfit.

== Episodes ==
This series contains 24 episodes all of which, excluding episode 4, are 25 minutes in duration.

Episode 1 - Commander Pierce
The stress of Command turns Pierce into an up-tight authoritarian.

'''***Hawkeye: Now I know why they shoot people at sunrise. Who wants to live at six in the morning***'''

Episode 2 - Peace on Us
When the army increase the number of points that surgeons need to receive a discharge, Hawkeye is furious and barges in on the peace talks to give everyone a piece of his mind.

Episode 3 - Lil
A female Colonel visiting the base gets more attention from Colonel Potter than the others feel comfortable with.

'''***Lil: [Questioning B.J about his name] What does it stand for?'''
'''B.J: Anything you want***'''

Episode 4 - Our Finest Hour
An hour-long episode whereby a reporter interviews the staff and scenes from past episodes are mixed in.

Episode 5 - The Billfold Syndrome
A medic well-known to the 4077th comes in with amnesiac and Charles refuses to talk to anyone.

Episode 6 - None Like It Hot
The weather in Korea is scorching and the camp is suffering. That is until Hawkeye and B.J's bathtub arrives.

Episode 7 - They call the wind Korea
During a wind storm Winchester and Klinger get lost and stumble across an overturned bus full of Greek soldiers.

'''***Col. Potter: Oh Margaret it's you. I thought it was the storm'''

Episode 8 - Major Ego
When a Stars and Stripes journalist comes to interview him, Winchester's ego gets the better of him.

Episode 9 Baby It's Cold Outside
The 4077th have a battle to save a group of soldiers suffering from hypothermia and Klinger suffers from temporary deafness.

Episode 10 - Point of View
An utterly unique episode told from the viewpoint of a casualty of the 4077th and the battle the doctors have to save him.

Episode 11 - Dear Comrade
A North Korean spy infiltrates the 4077th posing as a houseboy for Charles. His task is to report on the efficiency of the unit.

'''***Klinger: Captain Pierce there's a delivery for you outside..... it's green.....it moves'''
'''Hawkeye: My Lunch***'''

Episode 12 - Out of Gas
The camp is running seriously low on gas and has to resort to ether, which is posing it's own problems, it is therefore up to Father Mulcahy to use his black markets contacts to procure some.

'''***Hawkeye: Let's see.... Jacket, sweater, robe, sweater, shirt. I'm almost naked. Fold!***'''

Episode 13 - An Eye For a Tooth
Winchester is double-crossing Hawkeye, B.J and Margaret in a game of practical jokes. In the meantime Father Mulcahy is desperate for a promotion.

Episode 14 - Dear Sis
It's Christmas in Korea and Father Mulcahy is writing to his sister, concerned that he isn't making a difference.

Episode 15 - B.J Papa San
B.J gets rather attached to two Korean children when he tries to help their father recover from pneumonia.

Episode 16 - Inga
Hawkeye falls for a Swedish doctor that is visiting the 4077th but her manner of taking charge causes him to re-evaluate his chauvinistic attitude.

Episode 17 - The Price
Klinger is trying to bribe Colonel Potter to give him his discharge but Potter is more concerned about the disappearance of his horse, Sophie.

'''***Hawkeye: Nothing like a nice warm shower with ice cold water***'''

Episode 18 - The Young and the Restless
The arrival of a baby-faced lecturer turns Colonel Potter into an invalid, Winchester into a drunk and causes B.J to become a bookworm.

Episode 19 - Hot Lips back in Town
Celebrating her new divorce Margaret sets forward a new plan that will allow the nurses to handle triage.

'''***Col. Potter: Meeting come to order, any old business?'''
'''Hawkeye: Yeah, can I go home?'''
'''Col. Potter: Get behind Klinger***'''

Episode 20 - C*A*V*E
Enemy shelling means the 4077th have to bug out. The only problem is they must do so to a nearby cave and Hawkeye is claustrophobic.

***Col. Potter Is that is?'''
Hawkeye: Unless we left the bath tub running***

Episode 21 - Rally 'Round the Flagg Boys
Flagg believes Hawkeye to be a communist sympathiser after he receives a complaint from a patient.

Episode 22 - Preventative Medicine
In order to stop a dangerous commander returning to the front line Hawkeye performs a stunt that is both shocking and sinister.

Episode 23 - A Night at Rosie's
Fed up of the army Hawkeye refuses to leave Rosie's Bar and soon everyone joins him.

Episode 24 - Ain't Love Grand
After being sent out of the SWAMP Winchester finds himself at Rosie's and falling head of heels for a Korean working girl.

***Hawkeye: I know a brisk walk
B.J: Again? How am I supposed to sleep with you climbing the furniture all the time?***

Episode 25 - The Party
Whilst the camp is bugging out and then back again B,J is busy organising a stateside party for the families of everyone in camp.

== My Favourites ==
Like always have my favourite episodes and in this series it was particularly hard to choose them. After much deliberation I eventually settled on the following:

My favourite episode of the series is Episode 6 'None Like it Hot' because from the beginning this episode is hilariously funny and contains some really great one-liners. Characters also shine through in this episode, which is really nice to see.

'''***B.J: It's from Abercrombie and Fitch, it's for us'''
'''Hawkeye: The Bathtub!***'''

My next favourite episode is Episode 4 'Our Finest Hour'. I really like this one because it added a real depth to the characters of the 4077th and brought together everything we know about them and have come to love. Better still it incorporated footage of characters that have previously left the company, which was a really nice touch and added continuity to the series as a whole.

== Acting ==
This series is another series in which the acting is top-class from the word go. Like in all the previous series' the acting is of a certain quality that seems to endear the audience towards the character and create a great deal of empathy for them and the situations they find themselves in. Each cast member brings their own something to the show and it is these little sparks that bring the on-screen characters to life and allow them to live in the memories of those that watch the programme.

Alan Alda's performance as surgeon Hawkeye Pierce is once again one that really stands out for the crowd as the charisma he has as an actor transpires straight into the character and makes everything he does seem ever so natural. Combine this with the wonderful talents of Loretta Swit and Mike Farrell who plays Margaret Houlihan and B.J Hunnicutt respectively and you really have a gem. Swit adds the sensitivity that any female character brings, even one as strong willed as Margaret and Farrell's wonderful partnership with Alda makes all scenes involving the pair a pleasure to watch.

All the cast also do a spectacular job of the medical side to the show and all of their medical actions seem to flow with a great ease that makes you believe that they do the jobs they are portraying every single day. I think it is this professionalism that makes the show so successful as if the medical side didn't look accurate then the overall feel and tone of the show would be destroyed.

== Disc Facts ==
The 25 episodes in this series are found over three discs, which contain subtitles and interactive menus and can be watched with a French audio if you so wish. Unfortunately however the discs do not contain any special features.

It is also probably a good place here to mention that this series like all of the others has a certificate rating of 15, which is well deserved due to the sexual references, gaudy humour and general behaviour at times.

== Closing Comment ==
In contrast to the previous series this one is fantastic from the very first episode to the very last and contains in my opinion no weak links whatsoever. All in all I would highly recommend this to all M*A*S*H and other classic comedy fans.

Summary: A fantastic series that deserves all the credit is gets